Local juniors fare well at Palmetto Dunes

Sunday

Dec 9, 2012 at 12:17 AM

Bluffton Today

Several Bluffton junior golfers were high placers at the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour's Indenti Club Challenge at Palmetto Dunes on Dec. 2. More than 60 players competed across three age divisions in the two-day tournament.

Bryson Nimmer finished third in the boys 15-18 division with a two-round score of 10-over 150. Ewen Ferguson of Scotland, a student at the Junior Players Academy on Hilton Head Island, finished first. Ferguson defeated Philip Loeb in a playoff to win with a 148 and took over the overall points lead on the tour.

Bluffton's Wesley Long finished sixth with a 14-over 154.

Drew and Alec Weary, a pair of brothers from Bluffton, played together in the final pairing Sunday in the boys 11-14 division. Drew Weary finished second with a 14-over 154. Alec was one shot back, placing third with a 155. Zak Butt of Summerville pulled away to win the division with a 5-under 135.

Junior Players Academy students swept the top three spots in the girls 15-18 division. Isidora Quevedo of Chile won with a 10-over 150 and took over the points lead. Anita Uwadia of Lagos, Nigeria, finished 11 over and moved into third in points. Teresa Casasus of Spain was third at 13 over.

Bluffton's Griz takes tournament

Jonathan Griz of Bluffton won the International Junior Golf Tour's "Discovery Tour" event at Old South Golf Links on Dec. 1.

Griz turned nine years old the day of the event and fired a 2-over-par 38. He notched a birdie on the par-3 fourth hole, measuring 125 yards.

The Discovery Tour hosts 9 and 18-hole tournament for ages eight to 12. Players are encouraged to have a caddy during the round. Caddies can carry a participant's bag, assist with rules and offer advice.

Haney students win at Old South

The International Junior Golf Tour made one of the final stops of the fall at Old South Golf Links on Dec. 2. The 36-hole, nationally ranked junior event featured some of the top junior golfers from around the world.

Matthew Rushton from Cape Town, South Africa, a full-time student at Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy on Hilton Head Island, fired back-to-back rounds of 70 to win the boys 15-19 division. He edged classmate Mickey Werenski (South Hadley, Mass.) by only four strokes.

Charlie Spencer-White of Bluffton had a two-day total of 4-over 148 to tie for third place.

"There really wasn't anything that stood out (this weekend)," Rushton said. "I just played solid. I made putts. I hit drives in the fairway when I needed to. All in all, I played really solid."

Notably, Rushton and Werenski will be joining Division 1 golf programs in 2013. Rushton recently signed with the Notre Dame and Werenski has signed with Texas A&M.

The IJGT finishes the fall season today at Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island with the fifth Annual Hank Haney Invitational. Haney student Rei Nakatani (Tokyo, Japan) won the girls under-19 division with rounds of 78 and 71, slipping past classmate Thamonpat Siriko (Bangkok, Thailand) by one stroke.

To register for IJGT events, visit www.IJGT.com or call 785-2444.

Moss Creek ends 2012 season

Moss Creek Golf Club capped off the year Dec. 1 with its annual meeting tournament.

The four-person scramble, which included 145 players, was conducted on the North and South courses. Play was followed by the club's Annual Meeting, where the 2012 champions were recognized, hole-in-one awards were presented and board members shared their reports. Tom Andreas and Peter Halsey were elected as new board members for three-year terms.